The Big Glut Recipe - June

Salad Niçoise

We’ve done this classic before in the Gardener’s Journal but it’s seasonally just right and refreshing on a warm June day, so here goes. This one inspired by Anthony Worrall Thompson from BBC Food & Drink.

Ingredients

• 450g/1lb fresh tuna or 4 x 175g/6oz tuna steaks, 2.5cm/1in thick
• 8 new potatoes, cooked and quartered lengthways
• 4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 115g/4oz extra fine French beans, topped, cooked and drained
• 4 little gem lettuce hearts, quartered lengthways 
• 1 red onion, finely sliced 
• 4 eggs, cooked for 6 minutes in boiling water from room temperature, halved
• 6 anchovy fillets cut lengthways into thin strips
• 16 pitted black olives in brine
• 8 basil leaves, torn

For the dressing or marinade

• 105ml/7tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp aged red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp freshly snipped chives
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Make the dressing or marinade by whisking together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, parsley, chives, garlic, salt and pepper. Place the tuna in a shallow dish and pour over half of the dressing. Cover and chill it for 1-2 hours to allow the fish to marinate, tossing it in the marinade from time to time.
Heat a ridged griddle pan on the hob for 5 minutes (or get the barbecue hot and ready). Remove the tuna from the marinade. Cook the tuna steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how you like your fish.

Lay the lettuce leaves onto a large plate and add the onion, tomatoes, potato, tuna, beans and anchovies. Drizzle over the remaining dressing then finish by adding the eggs, olives and torn basil leaves.

Recipe courtesy BBC Food